A Chance Encounter | Fred Weasley

Chapter 10

The break came to a close much sooner than anyone had anticipated. Clara and her brothers had spent New Years at home with each other and had set up many more fireworks than they had in the past. They made all of their favorite foods and shared a great many laughs with one another.

The only dampening thing that brought them back to the Burrow over the break was that it had been attacked by Death Eaters. Clara had panicked when Fred first told her, and the three Caxtons had rushed over as soon as they could. She comforted Molly as best she could as the boys helped put the house back together. It took some time, but the Burrow was nearly as good as new. Molly had kept singing her praises and thanks, but Roman and Clara repeatedly reassured her that it was the least they could do considering she and Arthur were watching out for them and Michael as if they were their own children.

Now that the holidays were coming to a close, Clara was going to miss having the boys at the house. They were really what made it a home. The trio were on the way to King's Cross, Clara already dressed for work and Roman bundled in his coats to make his journey back to Romania.

As they stood on the platform, Clara could sense the hesitation in Michael's stance.

"You'll be fine. You'll be home before you know it," she reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to her and gave a weak smile. "Remember to write?"

She pulled him into a tight embrace. "Every week."

After Michael pulled away, he turned to Roman. "I'll see you this summer?"

"For as much time as I can spare," he stated with a smirk.

Michael nodded as he gave his brother a brief hug, the two trying to maintain their manly pride.

As Michael walked towards his friends and boarded the train, Clara and Roman began to leave the station.

"Now you're sure you're going to be alright?" Roman asked for the millionth time that morning.

Clara nodded. "I'll be fine. Mrs. Weasley said that I'm more than welcome to join them for dinner at the house, and I told her they could join me as well. Financially, I'm okay. Mum's been cooperative at St. Mungo's." She smiled up at her brother with as much confidence as she could muster.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed at her features. "You know, when I look at you I still see the little girl that I spent so much time protecting when we were younger."

"And I still see the boy who spent so much time telling me not to be afraid. And I never was."

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About two months later, Clara was stocking shelves and humming to herself, enjoying the down time that she rarely got now that the shop was so popular. The twins had released their product they had made with Michael and it was a success: notebooks that came in pairs so that when one person wrote in it, another could see it in the book's partner. It was a hit with school students especially.

As she continued to restock Michael's product, she heard behind her, "Those things have been quite a hit haven't they?"

"Oh yes, they've been very popular," Clara replied in her polite, store voice. Turning around, she was caught off guard to see Oliver Wood looking at the notebooks. It made her heart leap into her throat. "Oliver!" she exclaimed.

"Clara," he replied with a bright smile. "How have you been?"

"Good, good," she answered, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "What brings you here?"

"I was just in the neighborhood and decided to stop by. Not much to see in Diagon Alley anymore. Such a shame."

Clara nodded, her hands beginning to fidget. "It's great that Fred and George opened up the shop. It brings a certain life to the alley that it really needs."